Growing up is not easy. During the many transitional periods that you face in your teenage/young adult life, you will struggle with many questions. Who am I? is the most common, and arguably most difficult to answer. As you work to determine your own identity, you will most likely look to others around you for guidance and even inspiration. It is easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others; we are all guilty of worrying what others think of us, and we all want to be well-liked. But what if one of the people that you are comparing yourself to is your mom or dad? Whether they were the prom king, cheerleading captain, or lead guitarist, a less common but still difficult question many of us have to ask ourselves is, Why are my parents so much cooler than me?

They are social media experts

Keen on the wonders of the internet, your mom or dad is constantly coming up with great tweets and even better hashtags. Their Instagram username is “(your name)sMom”, and they love posting #tbt’s of you crying on Santa’s lap in 1998. They might even have a “Snapchap”, and love “snapchapping” you pictures of your dog.

Their dance moves could make you Vine famous

Not only does your dad whip, but he does it without warning in public as much as possible.

They know all the "hip lingo"

Don't be alarmed if your parent texts you after a night out, "Was the party lit?" Ok, be a little alarmed. Your mom uses "YOLO" to justify taking you on a shopping trip, and your dad loves to talk about his "swag". Your parents are obsessed with text-acronyms, and probably say "LOL" on a daily basis.

They know all the popular songs

Your mom talks about how terrible it is that the songs on the radio are so vulgar, and yet she knows all the words to "Want To Want Me". Actually, she loves all of Jason Derulo's songs, so basically she's a hypocrite. Your dad has had "Back to Back" stuck in his head since the summer, and still can't get over "Trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers".

They are tech whizzes

Not only do they have smartphones, your parents know and use all of the features! Especially Siri. Dad, please stop using Siri to text instead of typing.

They are interested in the celebrity gossip

Your mom is very upset about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. She has her own opinions on Ariana Grande and still hasn't forgiven Brad Pitt for breaking Jennifer Aniston's heart. Your dad, on the other hand, was very interested in the Drake vs Meek Mill beef.

They watch all the great shows on Netflix

Your parents are obsessed with Mad Men, Dexter, House of Cards, Bloodline, The Blacklist, The Walking Dead… you name it, they watch it. They binge watch four episodes in one night. They have no limits.

They are the coolest people you know

Don't be embarrassed if your parents are cooler than you. Instead, try to learn from them. If your mom takes yoga classes, go with her to one. Try to watch Step Brothers as many times as your dad does so that you can quote it as well as he can. If you are lucky enough to have cool parents, you are very lucky. Or #blessed, as my dad would say.